Terri's Wellspring

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.   Psalm 116:17

I am so thankful for all the Lord’s blessings to me. He continues to bless my soul and my life with blessings that I could not earn, even if I had tried. The blessing of peace, His love and His concern for me surround my life and I am thankful. I am most thankful for the gift of salvation and the opportunity to walk with the Lord’s leading. With His leading, I know I will find safety, deliverance and peace that are beyond understanding. I am thankful. Jesus is always present and is available to us. We can call on His name for the concerns of our heart, the promise of direction and to manifest the blessing of healing of mind, body and soul. He is the healer and the provider of strength. I am thankful.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.  

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.   Colossians 3:15-17

We make so many choices each day. Making consistent decisions that reflect God’s will for our lives is essential for the blessed life that we seek. God is love and He loves us as our Creator and Heavenly Father. Following His lead in showing love toward ourselves and those we encounter is a strong reflection of Him. We must do the inner soul work that allows us to forgive and to open our hearts to His children everywhere.  Some people may feel like sandpaper but it is most likely an opportunity for growth and better understanding.  Seek understanding through the lenses of His love, His peace and His mercy.  We have all needed change at one time or another of a better way of dealing with others.  We may even need an adjustment now.  Our prayer today is that our lives, our decisions and our relationships will reflect Him.  We love the Lord and thank Jesus for this blessing.

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11

The standard response I receive to the daily inquiries of “How are you?” is “I am hanging in there.” It used to be “I’m fine”.  “Hanging in there” seems to indicate that we are doing what we can in what might be challenging times.  It is understandable. Many aspects of our lives seem a little more intense – finances, relationships and work.  As a result, we need a little more resiliency to keep moving forward.  It is important to take even small opportunities to encourage one another. I used to say in response “hang tough”.  Now, I try to encourage people to “use both hands”.  I hope it is a small acknowledgement, that things may be tough and that I need you to do your best to survive it all.  I hope it is a minor but persuasive way to encourage the people that cross my path.

So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:19

Sometimes we do things we don’t mean and it may have unintended consequences. A harsh word, a hurried response or a big misunderstanding may create distance between us and others. It may be with a total stranger or with someone that is dear to our hearts. Maintaining or nurturing relationships requires effort and at times hard work to create or restore a relationship that is worth having. The Bible explains the first step of going to someone privately when we experience a problem in a relationship. It describes the subsequent steps of reconciliation depending on the response received. I believe that the Lord provides this critical guidance because He has called us not only to get along but to love one another. Mutual understanding and respect sets the foundation for love. Wherever we find ourselves today, we can spend some time considering where we are with our relationships. Even if we are at a loss to how to get things pointed toward reconciliation, I am thankful to God that the Holy Spirit can provide direction about what to do when we need it.

Dear Heavenly Father –

We thank you for this day and each blessing that it holds. We thank you God for the blessing of friendships and family. We ask now that you would provide guidance regarding the relationships in our lives and show us where we need to make things right. With you leading and direction, you can help us to nurture and reconcile our relationships to reflect your love in us. We thank you God for these blessings.

In Jesus’ name –  Amen